Character Creation
Character Creation Heroes in the Beyond could be from almost anywhere, so long as it's somewhere vaguely Pathfinder-y. What that means is that they could be from your homebrew game, an old campaign you stopped playing a long time ago, or even a character you once played through an Adventure Path! So long as it mostly fits into the setting of Pathfinder in general, you're good to go, and you don't necessarily need to be from Golarion. However, in this realm, only the gods of Golarion will hear your call. Clerics and other divine casters must worship or otherwise draw their power from these divine beings in particular. Firstly, because this realm is far and away from any other gods' reach, so much so that the Golarion pantheon's power is only just strong enough to break through the dimensional barriers. Secondly, because it makes it much easier on GMs to make sure you're acting within the tenants of your deity or otherwise using the correct domains and subdomains. The Awakened/Wakeful/Adventurers could even be citizens of this world, though right now only The City of the Lost could possibly provide in-dimension PCs. In either case, if your character is from another realm, they one day find themselves 'waking up' in this world, performing their normal activities. You know how you feel like on some days you're running on auto-pilot, and only when something really odd happens does your brain actually start working? Extra-dimensional PCs find their adventures here starting just like that. Suddenly, they realize they're no longer where they were before. The people they mistook as familial are actually strangers. The home they were using belongs to a very angry man asking why they're breaking in. Often, the process of realizing what has happened can shake people to their core and leave them in a mentally broken state. Adventurers, being made of sterner stuff, are usually able to handle what has occurred and begin their path towards greatness from there. Character Building In general, Paizo published material is what you should use when making a character. If it's 3rd party, assume it isn't allowed unless it's on the 3rd Party Content page. Be sure to also check Banned & Altered Content before starting on your build. If there's something 3rd party you want to add, drop a line on our Suggestions forum to see if it'll fit! Races: Core, Featured, and Uncommon only. Svirfneblins/Deep Gnomes are not allowed. Classes: '''Core, Base, and Hybrid are allowed. You must use Unchained Summoner, Unchained Rogue, and Unchained Monk1 if you select those classes. '''Stats: 25 Point Buy. You are free to drop stats below 10 during point buy. HP: Take Max HP at first level as normal. All levels after first, take the average (3.5 for a d6, 4.5 for a d8, 5.5 for a d10, and 6.5 for a d12). Wealth: Starting wealth is the average for all classes. If you begin at a higher level than first, use the average wealth-by-level listed on the character advancement page. Traits: You may take 2 traits, or 3 if you select a drawback. Please select drawbacks that fit your character and not something that will have no effect on them. 1 You can select archetypes from the chained monk that do not have rules for use with the UC monk. If the archetype replaces an ability that is now a ki power, the archetype should replace a ki power instead. The level that they lose the Ki Power should be the closest level to the level of the feature that would be lost on the chained Monk and that ki power can no longer be selected. For example: a Monk of the Iron Mountain would replace their 4th and 6th level Ki Powers with the Bastion Stance and Iron Limb Defense features, since those features normally replace Slow Fall gained at 4th and High Jump gained at 5th. This monk would be unable to select these ki powers with their later level ki powers. Variant Rules Hero Points: We use the Hero Points system. If you start at a level higher than 1, you only have 1 Hero Point. If you wish, you may indicate on your sheet that you are an Anti-Hero and opt out of the Hero Point system in exchange for 1 bonus feat. You may retrain this feat into a generic "Hero" feat that allows access back into the Hero Point system if you change your mind. If you do this, you will have 0 Hero Points until you are awarded new ones by a GM or otherwise granted them. Age: You can start as old as you like, with all the associated bonuses and penalties. You must start at least as old as an adult for your race. Should you choose to be Venerable, a staff member will record your maximum age in case your character lives long enough to reach it. Occupation & Background Skills: '''You may create any occupation you believe fits your character. This occupation is what your character used to (or perhaps still does) for a typical living, and grants them a fitting bonus feat (your choice) plus two skills of your choice as class skills. If your character already has these skills as class skills, they instead each gain a +1 competence bonus. We also use the background skills system, including both Artistry and Lore. For background skills, you gain 2 "background skill ranks" each level which can only be placed into skills listed as background skills on the linked page (as well as Knowledge (Martial), see 3rd Party Content), representing things your character may spend their free time studying. You may otherwise spend your skill ranks freely, including on background skills. '''Sanity: We use the Sanity rules in this campaign, to represent both the stress a life of adventuring grants and how the setting slowly saps at the heroes' strength of will. Feat Taxes: We use the Elephant in the Room Feat Taxes variant rule set. Please read over this PDF carefully, as it contains many changes to feat chains in Pathfinder. Additionally, Rapid Reload can still be taken for firearms (Specify firearm - Musket, Pistol, Dragoon Musket, etc.). Firearms: Firearms are considered emerging technology. ECL: Effective Character Level. This is equal to your level + any templates you have. Thus, sir Bob the Advanced (Advanced Simple Template, CR+1) at 7th level has an ECL of 8 (Level 7 + 1 CR) and is considered 8th level when signing up for sessions. Character Advancement Characters advance on the Slow experience track. If you do not wish to level, you may choose to refuse any experience granted by a session and remain at your current level. You will still gain other awards, such as gold or magic items. However, should your WBL grow high enough, your ECL (Effective Character Level) may be raised to compensate for the power of items you wield. While advancement on the Slow track may not seem fun, there is a method to our madness: Gestalt All characters start as gestalt, selecting one class as their main class and one class as their gestalt class. Gestalt, in short, is a way to take the best of both worlds when it comes to classes. For instance, if you're a Wizard who has gestalted Fighter, you take a d10 HD, full BAB, and Good progression on Fortitude saves as well as Will saves, along with all the class features that come from being a Fighter. If a class feature appears on both your classes (Sneak attack, for instance) you take the better of the two progressions. The Bonus Feat and Spellcasting class features are always considered different sources, so gestalting two caster classes grants full progression in both and gestalting two classes with bonus feats grants both sets of bonus feats. Any ability that states your levels in X class count as levels in another Y class for the purpose of Z overlap if you gestalt both classes side by side (Brawler and fighter for example) thus granting you double progression. When levelling, you may choose to multi-class in both your main and gestalt tracks. When doing so, use fractional base bonuses to determine the resulting stats and use the best result from either. You may only have two classes in your gestalt "track" but you are free to multi-class in your main track so long as it makes sense for the character. Your gestalt track and its features cannot be used to qualify for a prestige class, nor can you take a prestige class in it. If you purchase the requisite RP option in the Roleplay Point Shop, you may then use your gestalt class(es) to qualify for a prestige class and can take a prestige class in your gestalt track. Templates By writing an application and spending the requisite RP (200 for the first, then 500 for the second) a Player Character may add a template to themselves much like how one can be added to a monster. Templates granting natural armor bonuses instead grant a "Template Natural Armor Bonus" so that they may stack with player natural armor bonuses, but not with other templates that grant natural armor bonuses. If you take a template that changes your type (not sub-type), you may not take a second template that changes it again. Templates increase the ECL (Effective Character Level) of a character by their CR increase. Characters must reach all requirements for a template in-game. For example, to be turned into a X Golem, something needs to actually happen that turns them into a golem, be it a magic ritual, alchemy accident, or angry wizard attack. This could just be story, or the result of an in-game session. When applying for your template, the staff will let you know if you need to perform anything specific before you can add a template. If you desire an Inherited template, you will be required to undergo a trial during a session to awaken the power that has lain dormant inside your character. Characters must be level 7''' before they can acquire any templates. Their second template can only be acquired at level '''11. Different templates may require you to be of higher level depending on how powerful they are. If/when you are approved for a template, you will be told how to handle adjusting your ECL. When requesting a template, you may request a Paizo template, a 3pp template, or a custom one you've designed yourself. If you've designed a template, you must have a Paizo or 3pp template to compare it to. This means either adjusting an existing template or designing a template and then comparing it to a published one to see how it matches up. No templates can be CR +4 or higher. The only exception to the application process is the Advanced Simple Template. Upon reaching level 7 and paying the required RP, you may apply this template to your character without application or trial. End Game If you're bored with a character, their story arc has finished, or you're just sick of high level play and want to try out being level 3 again, there are always options for retiring a character. Retirement Once a character has stuck around for long enough, you may have gotten tired of them or they may have concluded whatever business they set out to do when they began adventuring. In any case, playing such a character to a satisfying story end deserves a reward. You're free to write exactly how your character ends their career, and we have a few rewards for you sticking with them for so long. * 25 RP per ECL * Permission to play the character as an NPC in perpetuity. Post in the Character Change Request forum when you're ready to retire a character so your rewards can be given. Amnesiac Once a character has hit 15th level, you may tire of the higher tiers of play and want them to power down for a little while. If you desire, your character can become afflicted with the Malaise plaguing the Beyond, losing most of their memory and power for some time as the curious nature of this realm takes a hold on them. You, however, gain the following benefits: * 5 RP per ECL * Start the character at levels 1 through 3 (Your choice). * Your WBL is set to the level you chose (Your gear becomes lost as your character wanders in a fugue state). * You may keep all downtime businesses, assuming you previously hired a manager. * Free templates once approved (Assuming you previously had two templates). * Inherent ability score bonuses (From Wishes or Tomes) slowly begin to return to your character over time. You begin play with a +1 Inherent bonus in any attribute you previously had an Inherent bonus in. This increases by 1 at 5th level, and by 1 every 5 levels thereafter until reaching their old maximum. * Any and all Sanity damage is removed. Your Sanity Edge increases by 1 as your mind scars over old mental wounds. Remember to apply for this on the character change request forum once you're ready. If this same character reaches 15th level again, you may choose this option again. The benefits do not stack, though you will still be awarded the extra RP (and your character may begin to think 15th level induces severe amnesia). If you choose another End Game option, such as Spared from Madness, you lose the benefits of this option. Spared from Madness When you've reached level 20, you may choose to have your character undergo an intense ritual involving meditation and occult spellcasting as a way to ward off the inevitable mental decay of this realm. Upon awakening, they will find themselves weaker, yet mentally refreshed and able to quickly regain their strength. This grants the following: * 5 RP per ECL * Start the character at levels 1 through 3 (Your choice). * Your WBL is set to the level you chose (Your previous gear is lost as part of the ritual to cleanse your mind). * You may keep any downtime businesses you had. * You may take a +1 template (once approved) at any point before level 7. * Your second template is free (assuming you had two templates previously). * Any and all sanity damage is removed from your character. Your Sanity score increases by +2, and therefore your Threshold increases by 1 and your Edge increases by 1. Remember to apply for this on the character change request forum once you're ready. You may choose to take this option again at 20th level, but the benefits don't stack, though you will still be awarded the extra RP. If you choose another End Game option, such as Amnesia, you lose the benefits of this option. Category:Rules